Category Archives: War, Culture, and Society

100 Films Reviewed by Historians

Posted on May 13, 2011 by briansandberg

Historians are increasingly engaging with historical films, serving as historical consultants for film productions and as film reviewers for diverse publications. The American Historical Review experimented with film reviews for several years before shifting the reviews to the American Historical … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Film, History in the Media, War in Film | Leave a comment

Millennialists believe in Impending Last Days

Posted on May 8, 2011 by briansandberg

A new group of Christian millennarians led by fundamentalist Harold Camping is proclaiming that the world will end on 21 May 2011, when true believers will be “raptured.”  The Washington Post reports on Camping and his millennialist movement in an … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, History of Violence, Religious Violence, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Al Qaeda Confirms bin Laden’s Death

Posted on May 6, 2011 by briansandberg

Al Qaeda has confirmed the death of Osama bin Laden in a message on 3 May 2011, according to a report by NPR. The “general leadership” of Al Qaeda declares that: “We stress that the blood of the holy warrior … Continue reading →

Posted in Globalization, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Five Myths about Osama bin Laden

Posted on May 6, 2011 by briansandberg

As people search to define a post-Osama bin Laden world, it is important to take stock of bin Laden’s historical significance in global affairs. Peter Bergen, a national security analyst who once interviewed Osama bin Laden, now offers a timely … Continue reading →

Posted in Globalization, History of Violence, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

CIA’s Surveillance of Osama bin Laden

Posted on May 6, 2011 by briansandberg

New details continue to emerge about the planning and execution of the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. United States government officials have now revealed that an extensive CIA team conducted surveillance of the bin Laden compound … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Violence, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Assessing Post-Osama Transitions

Posted on May 5, 2011 by briansandberg

Policy analysts, political strategists, and scholars continue to assess the significance of the death of Osama bin Laden for international and domestic politics around the world. Michael Lind provides a sober assessment of the probable impact of the death of … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Violence, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Search for Meaning in a Post-Osama World

Posted on May 2, 2011 by briansandberg

People around the world are now reacting to the news of the death of Osama bin Laden, which is being seen as a significant world historical event. The military intelligence and special forces operations that led to bin Laden’s death … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Globalization, History of Violence, Religious Violence, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Osama bin Laden is Dead

Posted on May 2, 2011 by briansandberg

President Barack Obama announced a few minutes ago that U.S. forces have killed Osama bin Laden at a compound in Pakistan. The video of President Obama’s speech is available at the Washington Post.  The full text of President Obama’s remarks … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, History of Violence, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Historian Eric Foner Wins Pulitzer Prize

Posted on April 29, 2011 by briansandberg

Historian Eric Foner has won a Pulitzer Prize for his The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (Norton, 2010). The American Historical Association has a brief story about the prize on its website. NIU students interested in the history … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Review of Warrior Pursuits

Posted on April 20, 2011 by briansandberg

The first review of Warrior Pursuits: Noble Culture and Civil Conflict in Early Modern France has been published.  Professor Phillip John Usher, of Barnard College, reviews my monograph in Renaissance Quarterly. I am happy that book reviews of Warrior Pursuits … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Research, Early Modern Europe, French Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Renaissance Art and History, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment